Senate Floor Speech
Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison
March 5, 2003 -- Page: S3187

MRS. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, today I rise to introduce legislation to improve the deplorable housing situation in the valley region of the Texas border with Mexico. Our colonias are among the most distressed areas of the country.

In 1993 when I ran for the Senate, I visited with a woman named Elida Bocanegra who led me through the streets of the colonia where she lived. Elida showed me her community and, quite frankly, I couldn't believe I was in America. Since my election to the Senate, I have worked to improve living conditions and the quality of life for people such as Elida, helping to secure more than $615 million for the colonias of my State. In fact, my first amendment as a Senator authorized $50 million for a colonias clean-up project.

Despite third world living conditions, colonias, or underdeveloped subdivisions, have grown in population. Along the 1,248 mile stretch from Cameron County to El Paso County in Texas, there are more than 1,400 colonias that suffer from such conditions as open sewage, a lack of indoor plumbing, and poor housing construction.

The Colonias Gateway Initiative Act establishes annual competitive grants for nonprofit organizations which work to develop affordable housing, improve infrastructure, and foster economic opportunities. My bill would authorize the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to award $16 million in the fiscal year 2004 and appoint a nine-member advisory board consisting of colonias residents and service providers to facilitate communication. This bill will bring quality-of-life improvements to those who need it most, providing the most basic services like indoor plumbing. It will also provide funds to build affordable housing. This piece of legislation I introduce today will fulfill the most basic needs of these communities. As you can see, the Colonias Gateway Initiative Act will assist our neediest people, foster economic opportunity, and vastly improve the quality of life. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that a copy of the bill be placed in the Record.